He opened his eyes. Someone was standing over him. He blinked, it was Clarice. She had a worried expression on her face and she was stroking his head.
"What happened?" He looked around the room.
"You had a nightmare darling, you scared me, you kept screaming things in your sleep."
Then it all came back to him. The dark room, that immortal creature with the yellow eyes that bore into him and sought his every secret. The dreams, Mischa, Clarice…
He lay back on the bed and groaned.
"You'll never believe the dream I had."
She smiled, "Try me."
She sat down on the bed next to him and put her arms around his shoulders. He told her all he could remember… shivering when he remembered those eyes…
"I've never been so scared in my life."
"Shh… it was just a dream."
"I know, but it seemed so real."
She nodded, a look of understanding on her face.
"Today we'll go out and do anything you like, it'll make you feel better and take your mind off things."
He smiled and gave her a kiss.